Envelop-blank-cutting machinery



IVI. D. STRONG.

ENVELOP BLANK CUTTING MACHINERY.

APPLlcATloN HLED sEPT.15,19H. RENEWED MAY 24.1920.y

Patented Dec. 14, 192i).

4 SHEETS-SHEEI I.

M. D. STRONG.

ENVELOP BLANK CUTTING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I5, 1917. IIENEwED MAY 24, I92o.

1,362,365, Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

-4 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

M. n. STRONG.- ENVELOP BLANK CUTTING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I5, 19|?. RENEWED MAY 24.1920.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEEI 3.

MYQN w M. D. STRONG.

E NVELOP BLANK CUTTING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION man SEPT. l5, 1917. RENEwEn MAY 24, 1920.

$362,365. APatented Dec. 14, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEEI 4.

Unirse STABS PATENT OFFICE.

MARK D. STRONG, OF CHICAGO, LLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR'TO SEVELL-CLAIP-ENVELOPES,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A, CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. v

ENVELOP-BLANK-CUTTNG MACHINERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed September 15, 1917, Serial No. 191,512. Renewed May 24, 1920. Serial No. 383,923.

To all fw hom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MARK D. STRONG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop-Blank- Cutting Machinery, of which the following is a full, clear, and exa-ct specification.

My invention is concerned with envelopblank cutting machinery, and is designed to produce a press and associated elements by which the operator can cut envelop-blanks more expeditiously and with less labor than has been possible heretofore.

To this end, it comprises a power-driven press provided with a horizontally reciprocating table, also driven by power, upon which the paper stock is placed in piles as thick as the die will cut, together with a crane by which the die can be lifted and operated, and a die so shaped as to be handled by the crane, and readily detached therefrom when positioned on the paper stock preparatory to being moved by the table beneath the press, and attached thereto after the table has been returned.

It is further embodied in certain other novel combinations, all as will be fully described in the specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

To illustrate my invention, l annex hereto five sheets of drawings, in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all the figures, of which,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation, with portions broken off and in section, of the complete outfit;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, in section, as seen on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but with portions of the mechanism broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in a transverse vertical section through the clutch shaft by which the movement of the reciprocating table is controlled;

Figs. et and 5 are sections on the lines H and -5, respectively, of Fig. 3;

Fig. G is an enlarged detail of the reverse clutch mechanism by which the direction of movement of the reciprocating table is controlled;`

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the reverse clutch mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a detail as seen on the left-hand side of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail as seen in section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6;

Fig. l() is a side elevation of the carriage connected to the reciprocating table; and

Figs. 11 and 12 are details in section on the lines 11-11 and 12-12, respectively, of F ig. l0.

rlhe basis of my invention is a press structure which is mounted `upon the customary side frames 2O and 21, and which is preferably provided with an electric motor 22 suitably supported from the frame so as to drive the machinery. The arma-ture shaft of the motor is provided with a belt pulley 23 which is connected by the belt 24 with the belt-wheel 25 on the main or driving shaft 2G of the press, which shaft is journaled in the usual bearings provided for that purpose, and has the fly wheel 27 on its outer end. It is provided with a spur gear pinion 28 meshing with a spur gear wheel 29 secured on the end of a short shaft 30 journaled in suitable bearings formed on the framework and provided with the spur gear pinion 31 meshing with the spur gea-r wheel 32, which is secured on the customary crank shaft, not shown, which, through suitable connections, not shown, with the pitman rods 33 fulcrumed at their lower ends on the shaft 34 journaled in suitable bearings carried by the head 36 of the press, serves to reciprocate said head in the guideways 37 secured on the upper portion of the framework. All this construction is of the customary character hitherto used in presses employed for this purpose, and, per se, forms no part of my invention.

Suitably connected to the heavy transverse piece 38, connecting the side frames and extending forwardly from said transverse piece, are the bars 39, which are preferably hollow castings, and have bearing studs l0 projecting from the inner sides thereof, on which are journaled the antifriction rollers 41, upon which the customary wooden table 42 is supported, so that the latter can be moved back and forth from its loading` position shown in Fig. 1 to the operating position indicated in the same figure in dotted lines. Guide rails 43, to limit the lateral movement of the table 42, are preferably supported by being connected at the rear end to the side frames, as at 4.4, while the forward half is supported by the short bars bent into a Z-shape and secured at their upper ends to the rails 43, and at their lower ends to the inside of the hollow bars 39.

The movement of this table back and forth is effected by a sprocket chain driven by a sprocket wheel 47 mounted, in a manner to be described later, on the shaft 48 journaled in a bearing 49 formed in or secured to the casting 50 secured to the under side of the transverse piece 38. The sprocket chain 46 also runs over the sprocket wheel 51 journaled on a suitable bearing supported by the Vforward extension 52 of the framework, and said chain 46 has secured thereto, as best seen in Fig. 10, a bar 53 extending vertically upward and having its upper end passed through a loop 54 projecting horizontally Vfrom the center of the front end of the table 42. This connection provides for lateral play of the table 42. To control the position of the bar 58, to enable it to push the table in or pull it out without substantial strain on the chain 46, l secure to said bar 58 a carriage 55, best seen in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, which has extending from one side thereof the four bearing studs 56 upon which are journaled the four grooved anti-friction rollers 57, the grooved channels of which embrace the top and bottom vertical flanges of the T-bar rail 58, which is suitably secured at its inner end to the cross piece 88 and at its outer end to the aforesaid extension 52. With the connections shown, it will be obvious that as the sprocket wheel 47 is rotated in one direction, the table 42, with the paper stock 59 thereon, and having the die 60 resting on the stock, will be carried from the loading position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 to the dotted-line press position, in which the descending plunger 86, when the press is started, will force the die 60 down through the paper in the customary manner. 1When the press plunger is raised and the sprocket wheel 47 rotated in the opposite direction, the table will be withdrawn to the loading position, where the stock 59 that has been cut is removed after the die 60 has been lifted by the crane connections to be hereinafter described.

To rotate the sprocket wheel 47 alternately in opposite directions under the control of the operator, l provide the following connections to the power shaft 26: A sprocket wheel 61 secured on said shaft is connected by the sprocket chain 62 with a sprocket wheel 68 secured on one end of a shaft 64, journaled in suitable bearings 65 and 66 supported from the side frames 21 and 20, respectively, as best seen in Fig. 3. A friction clutch member 67 is secured on said shaft and has loosely mounted on its hub 68 a sprocket wheel 69 having friction surfaces on both of its faces, one face engaging with the friction clutch member 67 fixed on the shaft 64, while its other face is engaged by the friction face of the friction clutch member 70 mounted to slide on the hub 68 when it is pressed toward ,the wheel by the clutch levers 71 pivoted in suitable bearings `72 formed on the collar 73 secured on the other end of the hub 68. These levers 71 have their outer ends provided with contact bolts 74adjustably threaded into the ends of the levers 71 and secured in the adjusted position by the lock nuts 75, and these levers are swung to clutch the sprocket wheel 69 between the members 67 and 70 by the movement between them of the enlarged end 76 of the sleeve 77 mounted to slide on the shaft 64, and having its inner end provided with the annular groove 78, which has the lugs 79 of the fork 80 secured on the rock shaft 81 entering the groove, so that as the shaft 81 is rocked, the sleeve 77 will be moved to operate or disengage the clutch, as the case may be. The disengaging movement is effected by the helically coiled contractile spring 82 secured at one end of the frame, while its other end is secured to the crank arm 83 secured on the shaft 81, which is journaled in suitable bearings 84 and 85 secured on the side frame 20. lts movement to clutching position is effected by the `treadle 86, fulcrumed at 87 and connected by the link 88 with the crank arm 89 secured on the outer end of the rock shaft 81. By means of the connections thus far described, it will be understood that the operator can, by depressing the treadle 86, start the movement of the table in or out, depending upon which way the sprocket wheel 47 is arranged to rotate. To rotate it and control the direction of its rotation, l provide the following mechanism lhe sprocket wheel 69 is connected by the sprocket chain 90 with a sprocket wheel 91, bestseen in Fig. 6, secured on the shaft 92 journaled at one end in a suitable bearing (not shown) supported from the side frame 21, while its other end is journaled in the bearing 93 formed on or secured to the depending casting 50. The inner end Vof the shaft 92 is provided with a miter gear 94 which has a pair of inwardly projecting clutch pins 95 projecting from its hub. The miter gear 94 meshes with a miter gear 96 secured on the upper end of the short shaft 97 journaled in the bearing 98 formed on or secured to the bottom of the casting 50, and the miter gear 96 in turn meshes with a miter gear 99 loosely mounted on the inner end of the shaft 48, which has secured on its inner end a collar 100 having clutch lugs 101 projecting from one face, and clutch lugs 102 projecting from the other face. The clutch lugs 101 coperate with the clutch lugs 95 on the face of the miter gear 94, while the clutch lugs 102 coperate with a pair of clutch lugs 103 projecting inwardly from the hub of the miter gear 99. The sprocket wheel 47 is rigidly secured on the shaft 48, and an annular channel 104 is formed in an extension of the hub of the sprocket wheel 47, which channel is entered by the fork 105 secured on the rock shaft 106 journaled in suitable bearings 107 secured on the under side of the cross piece 38, and having secured at one end thereof the crank arm 108, which is connected by the link 109 with the hand lever 110 fulcrumed at 111 on the side frame 20, so that by manipulating the handle 110 the shaft 48 can be thrown inward to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6, or pulled outward to the dotted-line position shown in said ligure. Assuming that parts are in the full-line position, the lugs 95 engage the lugs 101, and the shaft 48, and consequently the sprocket 47, is rotated in the same direction as the shaft 92, which always rotates in the same direction. Assuming the parts are in the dotted lined position shown in Fig. 6, the clutch lugs 102 and 103 are in engage ment,V and consequently the shaft 48 `is rotated in the opposite direction from the shaft 92, owing to the interposition in the driving train of the miter gears 94, 96 and 99. Consequently, it will be apparent that, in the operation of the machine, the operator moves the lever 110 to the proper position to move the table 42 in or out, as the occasion may demand, and simultaneously therewith, or immediately thereafter, depresses the treadle 86 to start the table. `When it has reached its desired position at either end of the movement, he releases the treadle 86, when the spring 82 acts automatically to unclutch the sprocket wheel 69 from the continuously rotating shaft 64 and stop the further movement of the table.

As a further means to enable the operator` to manipulate the die 60 easily and rapidly, and with little manual effort, I provide the crane, which consists of the hollow vertical post 111', the upper end of which is closed by a cap 112, which contains a. suitable swivel bearing for the disk-like base of t-he short rod 113 journaled therein, and provided with the four-sided connection 114, one side of which carries the sleeve 115, the outer end of which is connected by the T 116 and the short tube 117 with the T 118, which forms a bearing for one end of the rock shaft 119, the other end of which has a bearing in the T 120 connected by the short tube 124il with the aforesaid connection 114. The sleeve 115 is, in one form of the crane which I may employ. provided with a rock shaft .121 journaled therein, provided at its outer end with a hand wheel 122 and handle 123, by which it may be manipulated. The other end of the shaft 121 is provided with a crank arm 124 which carries a pin 125 entering the slot 126 formed in the crank arm 127 secured on the end of the rock shaft 119 adjacent the standard 111. The parts 124, 125 and 126 are seen in side elevation only in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The crank arm 127 has associated with it the lever 128, it being in fact a bell crank, upon which is adjustably mounted a weight 129, which serves to counterbalance the die 60 when the latter is suspended by the crane. For this purpose, the rock shaft 119 carries on its outer end the arm 130, which is connected by a link 131 with thel bearing head 132, which is swiveled on the link 131 so that it is free to rotate thereon, being supported thereon by the nut 133 and the lock nut 134 `threaded on the lower end of the link 131.

The head 132 is provided with a pair of ears 135 in which are pivoted the upper ends of a pair of links 136, the lower ends of which are formed in hooks 137 which are adapt-ed to catch under the sides of the die 60. lith the construction shown, it will be obvious that after the table has been withdrawn, by manipulating the handle 123, the operator can rock the shaft 121, which in turn, by an added leverage, rocks the shaft 119, and, through the connections noted, thus lifts the die 60, which is counterbalanced by the weight 129, which will be adjusted on the lever 128 so that all that the operator has to do is to apply power enough to overcome the inertia of the parts. Once the die is lifted so as to free it from the stock 59, the arm 115 is swung to one side, turning with the shaft 113, so as to get the die temporarily out of the way while the cut stock is removed and replaced by the fresh stock.

I also contemplate constructing the crane so that the same may be manipulated by foot, and for this purpose 1 may provide the treadle 138, fulcrumed at 139 and having its inner end entering` the hollow standard 111, through which it will be provided with suitable connections to rock the shaft 119 and also to swing the arm 115 on its axis, all by a single movement of the treadle.

The operation of the complete apparatus will be readily apparent, and it will be seen that the operator can place the stock of blanks 59 on the table 42 and adjust the die 60 over it properly very quickly and with little labor, owing to the fact that he does not have to lift the weight of the heavy die. Once it is positioned, all he has to do is to see that the lever 110 is in the proper position and then depress the treadle 86, when the table will be fed automatically to its press position, after which the press operates automatically to force the die 60 through the stock, and as soon as the press is raised, the lever 110 is shifted and the treadle 86 depressed again. to cause the table to move outward to its loading position, when the operation of the rock shaft on the crane raises the die from the stock and enables the die to be swung out of the way to put fresh stock in place.

While l have shown and described my invention as embodied in the form which l at present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, it will be understood that it is capable of modifications, and that l do not desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claims except as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. ln an envelop blank cutting machine, the combination with a press frame, `.of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power shaft, connections from said shaft to the plunger whereby the latter may be forced downward positively as desired and then returned, a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is reciprocated, connections from the power shaft to the table to reciprocate the latter rapidly, and means for controlling the reciprocation of the table so that it can be stopped in any position and moved independently of the plunger.

2. ln a device of the class described, the combination with a press frame, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power. shaft, connections from said shaft to the plunger' whereby the latter may be reciprocated as desired, a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is reciprocated, connections from the power shaft to the table to reciprocate the latter, means for controlling the reciprocation of the table, a 'crane adjacent the outer position of the tabie, a horizontal rock shaft carried by the crane, a crank arm on the rock shaft, die-suspending means depending from the crank arm, a die suspended thereby, and means for rocking the shaft to raise the die.

3. n a device of the class described, the combination with a press frame, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power shaft, connections from said shaft to the plunger whereby7 the latter may be recipr cated as desired, a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is reciprocated, connections from the power shaft to the table to reciprocate the latter, means for 'controlling the reciprocation of the table, a crane adjacent the outer position of the table, a horizontal rock shaft carried by the crane, a crank arm on the rock shaft, die-suspending means depending from the crank arm, a die suspended thereby, means for rocking the shaft to raise the die, and means for quickly connecting and disconnecting the die from the die-suspending means.

A i;ln an envelop blank cutting machine,

the combination with a press frame, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power shaft, connections from said shaft to the plunger whereby the latter may be forced downward positively as desired and then returned, a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is reciprocated, a track beneath and parallel to the table, a carriage traveling to and fro on said track, a connection between said carriage and the table, and connections from the powershaft to the carriage to reciprocate the latter rapidly and stop it in any position independently of the movement of the plunger.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a press frame, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power` shaft, connections from saidshaftlto the plunger whereby the latter may be reciprocated as desired, a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is reciprocated, a track beneath and parallel to the table, a carriage traveling to and fro on said track, a connection between said carriage and thetable, a sprocket chain connected to the carriage, an idle sprocket wheel to support the chain, a driving sprocket wheel for the chain, a shaft on which the driving sprocket wheel is secured, and connections from the last-mentioned shaft to the power shaft to drive the former in either direction.

G. In a device of the class described, the combination with a press frame, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power sha-ft, connections from said shaft to the plunger whereby the latter may be reciproeated as desired, a table, horizontal ways carriedby the frame on which the table is reciprocated, a track beneath and parallel to the table, a carriage traveling to and fro on said track, a connection between said carriage and the table, av sprocket chain connected to the carriage, an idle sprocket wheel to support the chain, a driving sprocket wheel for the chain, a shaft on which the driving sprocket wheel is secured, a third shaft opposed to the sprocket-wheel shaft rotated in one direction by the power shaft, a miter gear secured on the adjacent end of the third shaft having a clutch lug thereon, a initer gear loose on the opposed end of the sprocket-wheel shaft also having a clutch lug thereon, an idle miter gear connecting the two miter gears, a collar on the end of the sprocket-wheel shaft between the miter gears having opposed clutch lugs, and means for shifting the sprocket-wheel shaft to engage the collar with one or the other of the opposed ruiter gears. o i

7. ln ay device of the class described, the combination with a press frame, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power shaft, connections from said shaft to the plunger Wherebythe latter 'may be recipr cated as desired, a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is reciprocated, a track beneath and parallel to the table, a carriage traveling to and fro on said track, a connection between said carriage and the table, a sprocket chain connected to the carriage,an idle sprocket wheel to support the chain, a driving sprocket' wheel for the chain, a shaft on which the driving sprocket wheel is secured, a third shaft opposed to the sprocket-wheel shaft rotated in one direction by the powervshaft, a miter gear secured on the adjacent end of the third shaft having a clutch lug thereon, a initer gear loose on the opposed end of the sprocket-wheel shaft also having a clutch lug thereon, an idle miter gear connecting the two miter gears, a collar on the end of the sprocket-wheel shaft between the miter gears having opposed clutch lugs, a hub having an annular channel in the outer end. of the sprocket-wheel shaft, a fork cooperating with the channel, and means for rocking the fork.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a press frame, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power shaft, connections from said shaft to the plunger whereby the latter may be reciprocated as desired7 a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is reciprocated, a track beneath and parallel to the table, a carriage traveling to and fro on said track, a connection between said carriage and the table, a sprocket-chain connected to the carriage, an idle sprocket wheel to support the chain, a driving sprocket wheel for the chain, a shaft on which the driving sprocket wheel is secured, a third shaft opposed to the sprocket wheel shaft rotated in one direction by the power shaft, a miter gear secured on the adjacent end of the third shaft having a clutchlug thereon, a miter gear loose on the opposed end of the sprocket-wheel shaft also having a clutch lug thereon, an idle miter gear connecting the two miter gears, a collar on the end of the sprocket-wheel shaft between the miter gears having opposed clutch lugs, a hub having an annular channel in the outer end of the sprocket-wheel shaft, a fork coperating with the channel, a rock shaft on which the fork is secured, a crank arm on the rock shaft, a handle, and a link connecting the handle and crank arm.

9. In an envelop blank cutting machine, the combination with a press frame, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power shaft, connections from said shaft to the plunger whereby the latter may be forced downward positively as desired and then returned, a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is reciprocated, and connections from the G5 power shaft to the table to reciprocate the latter rapidly, said connections comprising a clutch by which the movement of the table may be started and stopped in any position independently of the movement of the plunger.

l0. In a device of the class described, the combination with a press frame, of a plunmounted to reciprocate therein, a power shaft, connections from said shaft to the plunger whereby the latter may be forced downward positively as desired and then returned, a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is reciprocated, and connections from the power shaft to the table to reciprocate the latter rapidly, said connections comprising a clutch by which the movement of the table may be started and stopped, and a reversing clutch mechanism by which the direction of its movement may be controlled.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with a press frame, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power sha-ft, connections from said shaft to the plunger whereby the latter may be reciprocated as desired, a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is reciprocated, a horizontal clutch shaft below the table, gearing connecting the power shaft and a sprocket wheel on the clutch shaft, means for operating the clutch on the clutch shaft to start and stop the sprocket wheel, a reversing shaft, gearing connecting the sprocket wheel and the reversing shaft, means for controlling the last-named gearing to determine the direction of rotation of the reversing shaft, and connections from the reversing shaft to the table to move the latter to and fro depending upon the direction of movement of the reversing shaft.

l2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a press frame, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power shaft, connections from said shaft to the plunger whereby the latter may be forced downward positively as desired and then returned, a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is reciprocated, and connections from the power shaft to the table to reciprocate the latter rapidly, said connections comprising a clutch by which the movement of the table may be started and stopped, and a foot treadle and connections controlling the clutch.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with a press frame, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, a power shaft, connections from said shaft to the plunger whereby the latter may be forced downward positively as desired and then returned, a table, horizontal ways carried by the frame on which the table is recip rocated,l and connections from the power shaft to the table to reciprocate the latter rapidly, said connections comprising a clutch by Which the movement of the table may be started and stopped, and a foot treadle and connections controlling the clutch, together with a reversing clutch mechanism by which the direction of movement may be controlled, and a hand lever and Connections to control the reversing clutch mechanism.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set 10 my hand and aiiixed my seal, this 28th day of August, A. D. 1917.

MARKD. STRONG. [L 3.] 

